Energy hungry Delhi to be power surplus state soon: Sheila Dikshit

Energy hungry Delhi will soon become a power surplus state as over 2,000mw of electricity from various upcoming power generation plants will be available to the city in the next few months, government said today.

Addressing a function after unfurling the tricolour, chief minister Sheila Dikshit said that the gas-based power plant at Bawana with a generation capacity of 1,500mw and the 108mw plant at Rithala will start generating electricity soon.

She said the national capital will also get 750mw power from Jhajjar in Haryana and "This will make Delhi a power-surplus state".

Delhi witnesses massive power shortage during peak summer months in the last few years.

Currently, Delhi's power demand ranges from 3,700mw to 4,400mw. The city gets 2,200mw from central quota while nearly 1,000mw is produced by its own power generating stations. The discoms have to procure around 800mw to 1,000mw of power from the open market.

Delhi is also expecting expecting another 400mw from the Damodar Valley power plant in West Bengal by year-end

Dikshit said the government was also enhancing the water distribution network in city to ensure equitable distribution of the precious commodity in all parts.

She said two dozen underground reservoirs have already installed against the target of 53 UGRs.

On cleaning of river Yamuna, she said the government is targeting to rid the river of pollution within next two-three years.